FAQ

A Child Friendly City is a city in which Children’s rights are promoted and children have the best possible chance to realise their potential.A Child Friendly City is a city in which children’s rights and interests are promoted and children play an active role in their communities —it is a city that is vibrant and safe because it cares for, and looks after its kids.A Child Friendly City is a place where children and young people are valued citizens, have their rights and interests respected, and their voices heard.

It is “a city which has a local system of good governance committed to fulfilling children’s rights, where the voices, needs, priorities and rights of children will be an integral part of public policies, programmes and decisions. Consequently, it will result in a city that is fit for all.” – The International Secretariat for Child Friendly Cities.

A Child Friendly City will protect and promote children and young people’s right to:

Influence decisions about their city;

Express their opinion on the city they want;

Participate in family, community and social life;

Receive basic services such as healthcare, education and shelter;

Drink safe water and have access to proper sanitation;

Be protected from exploitation, violence and abuse;

Walk safely in the streets on his/her own;

Meet friends and play;

Have green spaces for plants and animals;

Live in an unpolluted environment;

Participate in cultural and social events; and

Be an equal citizen of their city with access to every service, regardless of ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or disability.​

A Child Friendly City gives effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) at the local level. Policies, by-laws, programmes, partnerships and budgets take children into account. In a Child Friendly City, children are active agents able to influence decision making processes. A Child Friendly City is a people friendly city which encourages participation of all citizens, young and old, in its services and planning.

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative is a strategy to recognise and promote children’s and young people’s interests at a local level.

HistoryThe role of local government in the fulfilment of children’s rights was officially placed on the agenda in 1992 in Dakar, Senegal, when the Mayors Defenders of Children Initiative was launched by UNICEF. Within this framework, a wave of child-centred activities and programmes took shape and were initiated at the local level.In 1996, in recognition of increased urbanisation and the consequent increased vulnerability of children living in poorly equipped and inadequate cities, a resolution was passed during the second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) held in Istanbul, Turkey. The Conference declared that the well-being of children is the ultimate indicator of a healthy habitat, a democratic society and good governance. Following the conference UNICEF, with the support of many partners, notably the International Union of Local Authorities launched the Child Friendly Cities Initiative. Since its launch, cities all over the world have, in varying ways, sought to implement child friendly initiatives.Under the Child Friendly Cities Initiative a city is encouraged to establish a Child Friendly Framework. The Framework should provide the City with a means of better recognising and acknowledging the special status of children in urban settings and the obligation to consider their best interests in all Local Government activities and practices. It should ensure that in this age of urbanisation children are not overlooked.

In New ZealandIn 2006 UNICEF NZ started to promote the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in New Zealand. To date, Auckland and Whangarei are the only cities in New Zealand to have adopted a Child Friendly Cities Framework. However, many other cities are doing a lot of great things for children and young people and we expect other councils and communities to join us soon.The Child Friendly Cities Initiative is continually growing and evolving. It is non-debateable that the situation for children in New Zealand must improve. The Child Friendly Cities Initiative provides a great stepping stone for change and can create a strong focus for collective efforts to improve life for children.

Child Friendly Cities provides a framework to inform communities in their work together to raise healthy, educated, participating children and young people.Children do not get to vote and so often go unheard, yet they are the most vulnerable group in society and are perhaps the most affected by government policies—they are a sensitive barometer to the effects of social, environmental, economic and other factors.​The Child Friendly Cities Initiative encapsulates the belief that investment in New Zealand’s children and young people is the foundation for thriving cities and a prosperous future for New Zealand. The Child Friendly Cities Initiative is a great way to ensure that children are given the best possible chance to reach their potential and to become productive and fulfilled citizens. It provides a means of positively influencing where children live, grow, learn and develop.Professor Clyde Hertzman, Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, an internationally recognised research network has asserted (based on research of Heckman and others) that for every $1 spent in the early years, society saves $4 to $8 in many other areas including healthcare, crime and substance abuse.

Committing to be a Child Friendly City is simply committing to improving the well-being of all children in your city.Everyone in the city can be involved in some way and will in some way be affected. At the most basic level this might mean looking out for your neighbour’s children, while at the other end of the spectrum it could mean Council carrying out Child Impact Assessments and considering children’s interests when drafting new policies and making decisions that will affect the children.Territorial Local Authority (TLA)The extent to which a TLA is affected will depend on the level of involvement and leadership that it adopts. We perceive there to be two ways in which the promotion of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative can be approached:

Stemming from local government-top down approach

Stemming from the community (generally through community interest groups)-bottom up approach.

In order to truly progress the initiative, TLAs need to get behind it and offer it their support. This will involve carrying out Child Impact Assessments, considering children’s rights when devising new policy and plans and consulting with children ethically and regularly.Ultimately we believe there will be vast benefits for TLAs that support the Child Friendly Cities Initiative. In our view it makes sense for TLAs to do their utmost to support Child Friendly Cities.. We also hope that TLAS will work in partnership with local organisations to progress the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.

CitizensStrong communities are the backbone of thriving cities. Children and young people benefit hugely in their development from having strong community support around them. Strong communities require caring and concerned citizens. Every citizen therefore has a part to play in their city becoming a Child Friendly City. What this will mean for you is difficult to say—everyone will be involved and affected in different and varying ways. Ultimately as a citizen in a Child Friendly City you should benefit from having a stronger sense of community, as well as developing more successful, concerned children which will have very positive spin-offs for the future. In order for this to be a reality, the city will need your backing, this means supporting Child Friendly Initiatives, voting at local body elections and generally supporting a Child Friendly Movement.

ParentsParents are instrumental to the success of a Child Friendly City. Parents are the biggest influence in a young child’s life. This means, as a parent your actions and teachings have a large impact on your child. Your child cannot vote so it is up to you when doing so to take into consideration what is best for them. Parents are in a position to support initiatives in your city that consider children and young peoples’ best interests. Also, parents have the ability to surround their children with people who will care and look out for him or her, to establish relationships within their community and provide a safe environment for their children to grow up in and in doing so giving their children the best possible chance to realise their potential.

ChildrenA Child Friendly City places children and young people at the heart of it. Living in a Child Friendly City means that children and young people will both be educated as to what their rights are under the UNCROC and have their rights respected. In particular, children and young people should feel as though their voices are being heard, their interests looked after and that they are growing up in a safe environment that provides them with the best possible chance to realise their potential. The potential payback for their city is incalculable.

BusinessesBusinesses are part of communities and business leaders have considerable influence on local communities and society more generally. Businesses provide and create employment and produce goods and services for consumers. They also have side effects known as ‘externalities’. These are the external costs and benefits on society (environmental, economic and social) produced by a businesses’ activity, the cost or benefit of which is carried by wider society.Former TelstraClear CEO, Allan Freeth, recently stated with regard to New Zealand business leaders, “business leadership should be expansive; it should stretch beyond the office and into the community and national dialogue. The challenge for business is not “should we?”, but how far we can actually legitimately go to support programmes and activities using our shareholders’ money?”Allan refers to “businesses doing the right thing” in promoting a better place for New Zealand’s children. This can mean any number of things and is not limited by an exhaustive list of set practices. For example, businesses can make their premises child friendly and have family friendly HR policies. They can be sympathetic and supportive to parents and pregnant staff and offer employees training which specifically teaches them about dealing with children and young people. They can involve local schools and young people’s organisations in their business planning and activities. Many already do and it is a trend that provides benefits for all parties involved.​SchoolsSchools, and the staff, play a vital role in the life and development of children and young people. It should be a given that schools are child friendly. However, they can always improve. For example, can pupils walk and cycle safely to and from school? Are children aware of their rights under the UNCROC? Schools have an important role to play in listening to children and young people’s voices and promoting their best interests as well as allowing children and young people to understand and contribute to New Zealand’s democratic processes.Schools can build and maintain relationships with local authorities, community groups and businesses and be part of generating new ideas towards a child friendly agenda. There are already many good examples such as, ‘Enviro Schools’ which is partnered by the Ministry for the Environment and supports children and young people to be active citizens, contributing to ecological regeneration and the creation of healthy, resilient and sustainable communities. Other initiatives to note are ‘Green Schools;’ and ‘Garden to Table. ’

GETTING INVOLVED

There is no limit to the ways in which we can make our cities a better place for our children and young people.For ideas and inspiration from other cities, see our Get Involved page.

UNCROC is a human rights treaty which sets out civil, political, social and cultural rights of every child.UNCROC is a human rights treaty which sets out civil, political, social and cultural rights of every child. The Convention has been signed up to by every recognized state except for the United States of America. Every Member State is bound to follow the treaty and is required to report to a United Nations Committee on the state of children in their State every five years. UNICEF NZ operates under the mandate of the UNCROC.View the convention.New Zealand adopted UNCROC in 1989 and ratified it on 13 March 1993. On the 20th of November each year UNICEF NZ celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of UNCROC by New Zealand.The New Zealand government entered three formal reservations to the Convention, meaning that they would not upgrade their laws to comply with certain articles. The reservations were:

Children whose parents do not have a legal right to be in New Zealand are not entitled to education, health and welfare benefits.

There is no minimum age or agreed conditions of employing children.

Children in custody can be held with adult prisoners in some circumstances.

UNICEF NZ, along with many other children’s rights organizations is working to have these reservations removed so as to comply with the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Government has agreed to address the recommendations but progress is slow.For the most part, UNICEF NZ is pleased and proud that New Zealand takes its UNCROC obligations seriously and that most children in New Zealand enjoy a good quality of life. However, we are mindful that not all children have the standard of living expected in a rich country like New Zealand. Our duty is to advocate for responses to UNCROC that guarantee the best interests of every child. New Zealand is required to report on the State of Children regularly. Read the 2011 Concluding Observations on the state of Children in New ZealandMinister of foreign affairs, Murray McCully on 9 December 2011 and Minister of Local Government, David Carter,5 November 2012 have confirmed that Local Authorities are bound, like central Government, to the obligations of the UNCROC.